Special Topics

Pilgrimage to Sacred Sites to Recollect the Saints

"Thus have I heard, at one time the Buddha dwelt at Sravasti, in the Jeta Grove..." "Thus have I heard, at one time the Buddha was at Girdhakuta Hill in Rajgir……" Many Buddhist sutras begin by indicating the locations in which the Buddha expounded the Dharma 2500 years ago, which have subsequently become destinations of pilgrimage for later generations of Buddhists. Although Buddhism no longer flourishes in India nowadays, large numbers of Buddhists from all ...

Pilgrimage: Following the Footsteps of the Awakened Ones - the Origin of the Holy Sites and the Transformation of the Forms of Pilgrimage

As long as there is a place where Dharma is spread, there are holy sites. Regardless of changes in space and time, believers continue to make pilgrimages to sacred places. Do you know how the holy sites were formed? How are the forms of pilgrimage different? The religious purpose of pilgrimage is to demonstrate firmness of faith through ritual visits to holy sites. Buddhism did not originally use the word "pilgrimage". After the Buddha's passing in India, the disciples began ...

Get to Know the Buddhist Holy Lands: Lumbini and Bodhgaya

How many Buddhist sacred places are there in India, Nepal, China, Tibet, Japan, Indonesia and other countries? Let's take a virtual pilgrimage tour and get to know the holy lands of Buddhism.  1. Lumbini - The Birthplace of Buddha Around 600 B.C., Gautama Buddha was born in Lumbini Garden located on the border of Nepal. Gautama Buddha's father was King Suddhodana and his mother was Queen Maya. Legend has it that Queen Maya became pregnant after she dreamed of a white six-tu...

Get to Know the Buddhist Holy Lands: Sarnath and Kushinagar

3. First turning of the Dharma wheel in Sarnath After attaining enlightenment, Gautam Buddha decided to teach the Dharma to deliver all sentient beings. Thus, he went from Bodhgaya to the Deer Park in Sarnath, where there resided five fellows who had practiced austerities with him. Gautam Buddha explained to them the Four Noble Truths: "the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suf...

Get to Know the Buddhist Holy Lands: Rajgir and Sravasti

5. Teaching the Dharma in Rajgir to deliver sentient beings  Rajgir was a significant city of the Magadha kingdom during the time of Shakyamuni Buddha. King Bimbisāra offered the Kalandaka Veṇuvana in Rajgir to the Buddha, which became the first vihara for the monastics. It was here that the Buddha preached the Sutra on Impermanence and the doctrine of dependent origination. In addition, this was where Venerable Sariputra (who was foremost in wisdom) and Venerable Maudgalyayana (who w...

Get to Know the Buddhist Holy Lands: Vaishali and Nalanda

7. Announcement of Parinirvana in Vaishali  Vaishali (meaning "vastness"), built by the Licchavi clan, was a great power in northern India in the 6th century BCE. The Buddha used to wander about to preach the Dharma and thus, many people held Buddhist beliefs here. Many Buddhist events took place in Vaishali. For example, the Buddha began to formulate the Pratimoksha in Vaishali, and the first precept for monks - abstinence from sexual behaviour--was established here. As for...